Summary
With the brilliant new trailers forDeath Stranding 2wowing audiences around the world, many gamers are flocking back to the originalDeath Strandingfor the first time since its release. Still, they might be looking for a way to make their second playthrough weirder or more wonderful than the first. Luckily,Death Strandingaccommodates a wide range of approaches.
Whether it’s forsaking some of Sam’s most powerful traversal gadgets or focusing on the game’s social aspects, there are plenty of great ways to shake up a second playthrough ofDeath Stranding.
8Completionist
The Great Mop-Up
Death Strandingis a massive game. It wouldn’t be surprising if most gamers decided to focus on the main story of the game, particularly near the end when the number ofcollectibles, bunkers, and communal projects pile up.
However, a completionist approach toDeath Strandingcan be really rewarding. Attempting to achieve every achievement/trophy in the game means five-starring every bunker, which on its own requires major diligence, and engaging with every mechanic the game has to offer. To get the most out ofDeath Stranding, the Completionist route is the way to go.
7Only Use Other Player’s Structures
Rely On BRIDGES
One ofDeath Stranding’s signature mechanics is how the structures and tools placed by other players can appear in any person’s version of the world, and vice-versa. That means if you’re stuck on top of a cliff and need a way down, you might just find a climbing anchor that another player placed there just for you.
A really interesting way to play through the game is to rely only on other players' structures/tools and never build any yourself. It adds a degree of randomness and unpredictability when setting out on a mission, where the player needs to think on their feet and solve problems fast while jumping for joy if a fellow Porter throws theman overpowered structure-based lifeline.
6No Vehicles
The late game ofDeath Strandingincreasingly relies onthe extensive roster of vehiclesand well-paved but expensive roads. Sam starts the game by lugging cargo over precarious mountains, and many players end the game as leisurely truck drivers using well-established networks of roads, zip lines, and floating carriers.
One way to shake things up is never to use a vehicle and just rely on Sam’s two feet. He can use any gear like ladders, carriers, or anchors, but he can’t use the game’s bikes or trucks. It forces the player to forge new routes through the environment and engage with threats and perils trivialized by the truck.
5Lethal/Non-Lethal
In the world ofDeath Stranding, dying is a major problem. Every dead body is a massive atom bomb waiting to explode at a moment’s notice, meaning that if any enemy dies, they need to be burned quickly, or face a crater in the already devastated world. However, what happens if the player embraces this “stick” based philosophy instead of avoiding it?
The game takes on an entirely new dynamic as a result. MULE camps become a natural disaster waiting to happen. Players can limit themselves to only lethal weapons, meaning that each kill needs to be dealt with fast, requiring precision and forethought. Alternatively, the player can try and go entirely non-lethal, requiring massive investment into the game’s various non-lethal techs to stay competitive with the ever-evolving MULEs.
4Photomode Playthrough
Appreciate The Beauty
Death Strandingis a self-evidently beautiful game. Largely based on the acrid desolation of Iceland’s volcanic geology, Kojima’s version of America is full of stark landscapes of nature reclaiming a world abandoned by humans.
In a photomode playthrough ofDeath Stranding, the actual mechanics, story, and play experience are second to being a photographer. Finding striking compositions, poses, and landscapes becomes the reward itself, and it’s likely to make a player appreciate the loving detail and attention put into this unique apocalyptic world.
3European Extreme
Old School Stealth
Back whenMetal Gear Solid 2had a delayed release in Europe, the unique “European Extreme” difficulty was added as an apology where absolutely any detection would end the game immediately. Now, it’s become a beloved part of theMetal Gear Solidfranchise as a playground for the hardcore.
Naturally,Death Stranding, Kojima’s follow-up to theMetal Gear Solidgames, is a great place to continue this tradition. In this style of play, players must put stealth above all else, making sure that no BTs or MULEs, whenever possible detect them. That means no driving past in lumbering trucks, but reliable stealth.
2Help Others
The Altruist Path
One ofDeath Stranding’s defining themes is the need to re-connect the world when humans have become isolated from each other. This plays out in the story, of course, but in typical Kojima fashion, the game’s mechanics also tell the story,as any structures, tools, or cargo one player leaves behind can be used by another.
In this version of the playthrough, the player should prioritize making things as easy as possible for other players and accruing as many Likes as possible. That means prioritizing the road systems, setting up thorough zipline networks, and leaving behind useful tools and structures wherever they go. Though the player will never meet the others they’re helping, engaging with the game’s core themes is an exceptionally rewarding way.
1Purist
Hardcore of the Hardcore
This one is for the purely hardcore. As a sci-fi apocalypse, the world ofDeath Strandinghas plenty of tools to help Sam through tricky deliveries. Not so in this playthrough. Sam is only allowed the boots on his feet and his backpack. That’s it. No vehicles, tools, structures, help from other players, nothing. Only the game’s basic mechanics are allowed.
This, of course, makes the game extremely difficult. Yet, a monastic minimalist playthrough can become genuinely meditative. While the player’s unlikely to get great scores for speed, the long walks turn the game into something else entirely, as a repetitive but soothing delivery simulator where overcoming simple challenges is a massively satisfying experience.
